Best Mexican Style Chili With Polenta Squares Recipes

POLENTA ENCHILADA BAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice up the polenta into 8 equal sized pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil and polenta slices. Season the tops with salt and cook until each side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side.
• While polenta is cooking dice up the bell peppers and onion. Remove polenta from the skillet and add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and diced vegetables. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add in the black beans and all the spices. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Pour half the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a medium sized oven safe baking dish and then top with the veggie and bean mixture. Lay the polenta slices down in a single layer and pour over remaining enchilada sauce. Top with shredded cheese and bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, 7-10 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

POLENTA WITH GREEN CHILIES AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until polenta is tender and thickens, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan.
• Pour half of polenta into prepared dish. Cover with half of chilies and half of corn. Sprinkle with half of cilantro and 1 cup Jack cheese. Drizzle with 1/4 cup cream. Spoon remaining polenta over. Cover with remaining chilies, corn, cilantro and cheese. Pour 1/4 cup cream over. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.) Bake until polenta puffs and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes if not chilled or 30 minutes if chilled. Cut into squares and serve.

POLENTA WITH GREEN CHILES AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees; Butter an 8x8x2-inch baking dish.
• Mix milk, Water, cornmeal, garlic, and salt in a heavy saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook until polenta is thickened, stirring often, 12 to 15 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste; stir in Parmesan cheese.
• Pour half of polenta into prepared dish; cover with half of the chilies and half of corn, sprinkle with half of the cilantro and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; drizzle with 1/4 cup of cream.
• REPEAT; Spoon remaining polenta over and cover with remaining chilies, corn, cilantro and cheese, pour the other 1/4 cup cream over top.
• Bake until polenta puffs and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes; cut into squares and serve.

POLENTA CHILI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large heavy saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon 15-20 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from sides of pan. , Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup cheddar cheese until melted., Spread into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat chili according to package directions. , Spread vegetables over polenta; top with chili. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CHILI WITH POLENTA AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• In a pot, bring milk and 2 1/2 cups water to a simmer; season lightly with salt. Whisking constantly, add polenta in a thin stream. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking occasionally, until polenta is tender and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Season with salt and pepper; cover to keep warm.
• In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil and garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and discard garlic; add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add spinach; season with salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
• Reheat chili. Serve with vegetables over polenta.

MEXICAN CHICKEN AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large skillet and cover with water; add chopped cilantro, oregano, onion and peeled clove of garlic.
• Cook chicken breasts over medium heat about 10 to 15 minutes; chicken should no longer be pink in center; remove chicken from pan and let cool; reserve liquid.
• Add ancho peppers to the reserved liquid in pan; cover and soak about 10 minutes (no heat on pan); drain liquid into a bowl.
• (Sometimes, I add the whole ancho to the pand and seed after they are softened.) Shred cooled chicken and set aside.
• Place peppers, garlic, tomato sauce and cumin in blender and blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes; if you have an immersion blender you can add everything to the pan and blend.
• Pour mixture into a saucepan, add chicken and heat through about 3 or 4 minutes; use drained poaching liquid to thin a bit if it seems too dry.
• To make polenta, bring water to a boil; add salt.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the water to the cornmeal to make a paste or slurry; Slowly add cornmeal slurry to the boiling water, stirring until smooth; after 10 minutes add Splenda and corn kernels; cook another 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon 1/4 of the cooked polenta onto the serving plate; top with 1/4 of chicken and chili mixture; garnish with additional cilantro (optional) or chopped scallions (optional).
• OR If you prefer polenta wedges, coat a 9 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray and pour polenta into pan; smooth with a spatula; let polenta to firm up, about 3 minutes; cut into quarters and remove from pan.
• Place polenta slices in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; cook on both sides until crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes per side.
• Place polenta wedge onto the serving plate; top with 1/4 of chicken and chili mixture; garnish with additional cilantro (optional) or chopped scallions (optional).